INKED: Doomed

Chapter 14

May 31, 2081

I yawned and stretched as I woke up, freezing when my hand touched something cold next to me. I slowly turned to see Mrs. Abimbola laying in bed. She was very still and as I watched her closely, I realized she was not breathing.

"No! No!" I screamed as I shook her body but her eyes remained closed.

I watched as her fingers slowly started melting. I didn't wait for her to turn completely to ink before I scrambled up and rushed to the parlor to wake Tobi up but as I touched him, he fell off the chair staring at the ceiling with cold eyes. His body was cold too. I screamed, rushing to the door and flinging the door open. But as I stepped out, I froze. All around, there were puddles of ink on the ground. My hand went to my mouth as I looked around, trying to make sense of what had happened. My mind immediately went to Wunmi and I rushed to her house. I pushed open the wooden door of her hut and entered but stopped. A puddle of ink was on the floor, spreading.

"Wunmi!" I screamed but I got no answer. My heart was beating so loud in my chest that it seemed to be the only sound I could hear. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I screamed Wunmi's name once again.

Something cold touched my feet and I looked down. The ink on the floor had spread towards me. My eyes widened as I backed out of the door, my mouth open but no sound coming out. It was like the scream was frozen in my throat. I dashed out of the hut and ran to each hut, screaming the names of the people I knew but there was no one. In each hut, I was greeted with puddles of ink and silence. The silence was threatening to choke me. I ran to the village square and to the market but no one was there. I knew what had happened but I refused to believe it. I refused to believe that the ink had finally killed everyone in the village. With my bare feet, I ran out of the village. I had always stayed in the village because we were told not to leave it, it was our own safe haven, away from RICCO CORP and the excess ink in the city but now I rushed out of the village invisible boundary lines with no hesitation. There was no one to stop me. Everyone was gone.

I don't know how long I ran but there was a stitch in my side, my throat was parched and my feet were bleeding. I broke out from the edge of the forest surrounding the village and stopped. It was the city. Light shone everywhere, lights from the billboard, street lamps, bulbs in shops. There was an unnatural stillness in the air though I could hear a soft music playing in the distance. I moved forward, looking all around. I couldn't truly bathe in the excitement of being in the city again after several years because I was looking for somebody. Anybody. Another human being other than me. A few minutes had gone by and I didn't see anybody. My eyes felt heavy from so much crying yet tears still spilled down my face. I was ready to give up when I saw a figure standing in the distance. It looked like a man. With energy I didn't think I still had, I raced towards the man. As I got closer, I realised it was really a man.

"Sir," I called, touching his arm since he wasn't facing me.

He turned to look at me and I gasped as I saw the ink pouring out of every hole in his face. Right in front of my eyes, he melted into a puddle of ink. I backed away screaming and stopped when I felt my back hit a wall. I slid down the wall feeling exhausted and tired. I couldn't believe everyone was gone. My eyes were hurting me, my feet was bleeding and I was struggling to breath. My insides felt like they were on fire. My fingers started tingling and I raised them to my face. Slowly, I watched as my fingers started melting until a whole finger was gone and then I screamed.

*****
I woke up screaming and struggled when I felt hands holding me.

"Shh, Ivy. It's okay, it's just a dream."

I stopped screaming as my brain registered Mrs. Abimbola's voice. I pulled back to look at her. She was alive! It was just a nightmare. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I buried my head in her bosom.

The door to the room opened. "What's going on?" I heard Tobi ask.

"Nothing. It was just a nightmare, go back to sleep," Mrs. Abimbola said.

He hesitated for a while before I heard his footsteps as he retreated from the room. I was glad he had gone. Despite our truce, I didn't want him to see me like this. Mrs. Abimbola held me, rubbing soothing circles on my back. It was still dark so I guessed it was early in the morning.

"It's okay. What was the dream about?"

I swallowed as my mind went back to the dream. "It was horrible. Everyone was infected with the ink. Everyone died and I was the only one left. I was so afraid," I cried, holding her tightly as if to reassure myself that it was truly just a dream and Mrs. Abimbola was right here in front of me.

"Shh. It's alright. I'm here now. It was just a stupid dream. Nothing would happen to any of us."

"You don't know that," I sobbed.

"Well I believe we'll be fine."

Even though I didn't believe her. I let her hold me as I repeated her words in my head. We'll be fine. We'll be fine. We'll be fine.

©Jesutofunmi Fekoya

AUTHOR'S NOTE
So frightening! I hope her nightmare doesn't turn to reality.

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